Dirt Moon
by Ryuujitsu
Summary: Yami takes off his shoes and goes for a midnight walk without Yuugi's knowledge. General irresponsibility ensues along with possible slash. in memory of July


dirt moon  
yuugiou fanfiction  
ryuujitsu & co.

Disclaimer: Saying Yuugiou belongs to us is like saying we can fit into Yukari's pants. And if we could, that's only assuming we'd want to.

A/N: More of a mind-vomit fic than anything, although I hope you enjoy it. It is about dirty/bare feet and roads and chance meetings and muggy midnights in July. I needed to get it out of my system.

_We slip through the streets  
__While everyone sleeps, getting bigger and sleeker  
__And wider and brighter_

Lovecats, the Cure

It was six minutes after midnight when, under the dirt moon, Yami stood on the sidewalk. He was there with naked feet because it was July in the city and because shoes were uncomfortable and made too much noise. He was in the vague circle of light from the streetlamp, the boy king, with his hair half-up and half-matted with sleep, his feet bare and his shirt open. There was someone jogging up the street, and gradually they came into focus. Jounouchi Katsuya.

"Too warm," said Yami, by way of greeting. "Borrowed Yuugi's body for a bit." Then, cautiously: "You don't mind?"

Jounouchi looked at him like a man coming out of a dream. "Hi," he said simply. His hands were in his jean pockets and under the arms and across the back of his T-shirt the material was a darker shade of gray from the sweat. He moved on and Yami followed, walking as the other boy loped ahead.

"Couldn't sleep?" said Jounouchi, as they stepped off the sidewalk and into the middle of the deserted street. He slowed to a walk and let Yami catch up to him, and they walked single-file on the white line dividing the road.

Yami shrugged and pulled at his collar to let the air circulate. He could feel Yuugi in the back of their shared mind, asleep curled up in a corner, dreaming bubblegum dreams and thoroughly unaware of their body's whereabouts. _Purple-eyed boy, don't wake yet._

"Not really. What about you?"

Jounouchi smiled. "Dad's drunk," he said carelessly, though his shoulders were stiff in the darkness. The sweat had to be rather icy on his arms by now. "Had to get out of the house for a bit. Then I found you, so that was rather convenient. Waiting for me, were you? Where do you want to go?"

Yami eyed the soles of his feet, blackened with street filth. "Anywhere with grass," he announced.

They found the park eventually. It was hard to tell street signs at night and even with Yuugi's knowledge in his mind Yami couldn't read, but it seemed as though Jounouchi had already memorized the route and was taking Yami on a bit of a tour along the way. Jou was grinning as he jogged and Yami began jogging too to keep up, ignoring the sharp bits of road and sidewalk that pressed into his feet, and as they were moving past the "open from dawn to dusk" sign, Yami slipped off the designated path and into the grass.

"_Ah_," he said in delighted surprise, and he sat down and wriggled his toes while Jou laughed and collapsed in the grass beside him, breathing hard.

"Enough running for tonight," said Jounouchi, lying on his back. "Sometimes I think I can run forever. You get past this certain point—and then—it's like you really could. Run forever, that is."

Yami thought for a moment and said irrationally: "I've never held anyone's hand before."

"Better?" Jou had taken Yami's hand in his own and given it a sweaty sort of squeeze. "Or maybe not." He went to remove his hand and then saw the white gleaming flash of Yami's teeth in the night as the boy king smiled, so he stopped and kept his hand where it was.

"My old man," said Jou thoughtfully. "He doesn't get drunk as often as you'd think, but Mom leaving and Shizuka being all suicidal and shit isn't the best thing either, really." He took a sticky breath and went on. "But it was all weird, you know? I wasn't sure if you were going to agree to come or not, but I came to pick you up anyway, and I'm glad, I guess. So, you came," he finished lamely.

Yami smiled with his lips only this time. "Yea," he agreed softly. "Yuugi's going to be tired in the morning. Just this once."

"We'll do it again," said Jounouchi insistently, setting his jaw. "It's been fun. Next time grab some drinks and stuff; I'll steal a beer or two from my old man. You've never had alcohol. How much longer will you stay out tonight?"

Yami felt the grass moving against his face and tugged again at his collar to push the oppressive summer humidity away from his skin. "Another hour," he said, then added "I can't read your time" as though it was necessary to tell Jounouchi this. "I don't want Yuugi to be tired in school tomorrow. Don't drink. You'll start a habit. End up like your father."

The grass was wet, soaking his hair and the backs of his shirt and pants. Jou swore quietly and turned his head so that their eyes met and he wasn't just talking to the sky anymore.

"I'm not going to be like him," he said.

Yami laughed. "Liar, liar," he said, nudging Jou's sneaker with his big toe. He parted his mouth. "No one's ever kissed me either. Kiss me."

Jounouchi leered at him like a cat with the canary in his paws. "You don't care about Yuugi's feelings in this?" He moved closer until his breath was tickling the boy king's ear. "He isn't going to appreciate my sticking my tongue down your throat, even if _you_ give your consent. So Yuugi can't stay out late but he can get kissed and get drunk. Interesting. C'mere, pucker up."

They both laughed and Jou moved his mouth away again after a comfortable pause.

"Alright," said Yami, wondering how their legs had gotten intertwined in that moment. He pulled one of Jou's sneakers off with his feet and poked his toes at the other boy's damp socks. "Bring some drinks next time. I want to play on the swings and get drunk."

_Hand in hand is the only way to land  
__Always the right way round_

_I love you. . .let's go_

fin

A/N: Shizuka being suicidal ties in to this other fic I'm working on. Also, I advocate. . ._none_. . .of the irresponsibility featured in this fic. Drinking is bad, stealing Yuugi's body for a night to snog with his friend is bad as well. But it's fun to do, so why not?

Faust is coming along rather slowly. Scifair once again has me swamped.


End file.
